Guns N Roses - Tacoma Dome, Tacoma WA (11.08.02)
Posted by Widro on 11.11.2002
Reader report of the first actual concert on GNR's big return tour
Thanks to 411Music reader Chad Barnia for sending this report:
I'd like to give a little background before I get into the review, that way
you have a bit better idea who this is coming from. I am an old school GNR
mark, in my opinion there are few bands that can touch GNR circa 87-88. I
would advise that anyone interested in this review would be well advised to
track down the GNR set shown on headbanger's ball live from the ritz.....in
a word, amazing. Previous concert experiences (Metallica, Pantera, Black
Sabbath, Soundgarden, Rob Zombie, Sepultura, Slayer, you get the idea). With
that said & 4 "blue suade shoes" from Tony Roma's in me (and a Tacoma Dome
Bud, which wasn't allowed in the seating area...wah!) let me bring you
GNR2002...
oh yeah, I missed the first opening band, & DJ mixmaster Mike didn't quite
hold my interest, deal with it.
The Tacoma Dome was about 1/2 to 3/4 full, i'd say 12,000 or so, there were
more people here for WCW Spring Stampede 1999.
Opening the set was Welcome to the Jungle, did you expect anything else?
crowd was jacked, & frankly I couldn't hear Axl over the crowd, great opener
though. Next up It's So Easy, Followed by Mr. Brownstone, crowd was still
very jacked, everyone singing along, the next song I can't even make out
from my notes, my guess is You could be mine, I know it was an older song
though, crowd was still amped, as they were for the next 5 songs, Think
about you, Knockin on Heaven's Door (not impressed, too slow for my tastes),
Sweet Child O' Mine, Out Ta Get Me & My Michelle, the crowd was standing &
singing along until this point. Then the new songs kiced in, if I may rant
for a bit...release the album BEFORE you tour, I mean doesn't this make
sense or am I just retarded? anyway this is when the crowd died down, the
first new song they didn't even say what it was (maybe Axl did, it was hard
to understand any between song comments), it wasn't bad & featured plenty of
pyro, but if you don't know any of the words it has alot less impact, the
next song was Madagascar, which is familiar from the VMA's, & really sounded
good to me, but again the crowd really wasn't too into it. After the stage
went dark, Axl played a bit of a piano solo, any bets on what song came
next? November Rain got the crowd going again, and for the millionth time in
the show I was screaming for Slash, it just seemed wrong to me for anyone
else to be playing his riffs, no matter how much I like Buckethead. Next was
another new song with no name, I don't really remember this one at all,
Buckethead had an amazing solo after that, & the crowd was into it, which I
was happy to see being the Buckethead mark I am. Rocket Queen was next, not
as big of a reaction as I would have thought, but I dug it, Patience
followed with some fun with Axl as he put on one, then two KFC side order
bucket's on his head while he sang, I heard these were thrown up by the
crowd, but I didn't see it. Nightrain was next, crowd was a bit more pumped
& to cap things off Paradise City ended the night in grand fashion. Lots of
pyro & confetti for this one. That wrapped up the show & everyone seemed to
have a good time. I would rate this concert a 8 out of 10, well worth the
$60 I paid to get in.
The 411: Although I am a huge mark for older GNR, & Slash was always my favorite member, I am also a big fan of Buckethead & Brain, they more then held up their part of bargain & the other new members of GNR seemed to have no problem rocking on a mostly older GNR set. I was pleasently surprised by this show, & would go again tomorrow if they were still in town.
